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Home / Main Dishes / Soup

Hearty Homemade Corn Chowder

4.84
/5
50 minutes minutes
376 Comments
Jump to Recipe Print Pin
By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 09/16/2018

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Cozy up to a big bowl of this homemade corn chowder! Easy to make with either fresh or frozen corn, it’s a great year-round soup!

Cozy corn chowder, made with tender potatoes, salty bacon and sweet corn!  Perfect as a weeknight meal!  Crockpot directions too! #soup #chowder #cornchowder #fall #souprecipe #weeknightmeal #crockpot #slowcooker

I cannot wait to get into soup season!  Normally we eat soup year round, but this summer has been insanely hot.  And sadly, it still is.  Here is is mid-September, and we’ve only had 2 semi-cool days.  I say bring on the chilly weather!

There’s not a whole lot I love more than a thick and hearty soup… actually, a chowder.  Chowders are so rich and stick-to-your-ribs fantastic!

Ladle full of corn chowder

CAN YOU FREEZE CORN CHOWDER?

I love freezing soups, but due to the dairy and potatoes in this one, I don’t recommend freezing it as is.  If you REALLY want to try it, here’s what I would try:

  • Skip adding the half and half during step #8.  Instead, add it in when reheating the soup.
  • Cool soup completely, then add to freezer-safe containers and freeze 1-2 months.
  • To thaw, place containers in the refrigerator overnight or until thawed completely.  
  • Reheat in dutch oven or soup pot and once heated through, add half and half and stir to heat.  Serve as directed.

HOW CAN YOU MAKE CORN CHOWDER THICKER?

I would say this chowder is about a medium thickness, but if you’d like it thicker, there are a few options.

  • Puree more of the soup in the blender, or alternatively, mash some with a potato masher.
  • Before adding in the half and half, whisk a tablespoon or so of cornstarch into the half and half, then add to the soup as directed.
  • Add equal parts softened butter and flour and knead together with your fingers or a wooden spoon until a thick paste has formed.  Add to the finished soup and stir until the heat has melted the butter.  This is called a Buerre Manie and it’s a great way to thicken sauces, soups, roasts, etc.

Overhead view of corn chowder in white bowl

CAN CORN CHOWDER BE MADE IN THE SLOW COOKER?

Absolutely!  I get it, some days the last thing you want to do is stand by the stove for 30 minutes.  On those days, the slow cooker is my best friend!  Slow cooker directions are listed below the recipe.

CAN YOU ADD CHICKEN OR CHEESE TO THIS CORN CHOWDER?

Sure can!  Sometimes I add about a cup or so of shredded cheddar cheese to the soup, or add a sprinkling of cheese when serving.  Chicken is also a fabulous addition!  For this, I like to use shredded chicken, from leftovers or a rotisserie chicken.

Holding a bowl of creamy corn chowder

WHAT TO SERVE WITH CORN CHOWDER

  • Ultimate Grilled Cheese
  • Cheesy Garlic Crescents
  • No-Knead Artisan Bread
  • Simple Green Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette

Spoonful of corn chowder

HELPFUL TOOLS:

  • Dutch Oven – My favorite soup pot!
  • Immersion Blender – If you don’t have one, these are incredibly handy!  No need to transfer hot soups to a blender.
  • Traditional Blender – This is my favorite traditional blender!

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!

Cozy corn chowder, made with tender potatoes, salty bacon and sweet corn!  Perfect as a weeknight meal!  Crockpot directions too! #soup #chowder #cornchowder #fall #souprecipe #weeknightmeal #crockpot #slowcooker

Hearty Homemade Corn Chowder

4.84 from 161 votes
Author: The Chunky Chef
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 servings
(hover over # to adjust)
Print Rate Pin
Cozy up to a big bowl of this homemade corn chowder! Easy to make with either fresh or frozen corn, it's a great year-round soup!

Ingredients

  • 8 slices bacon, diced
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 5 cups water (chicken broth or vegetable broth may be substituted)
  • 8 ears yellow sweet corn (husks and silks removed)
  • 1 lb. yukon gold or baby red potatoes , sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1/4 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
  • salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup half and half or heavy cream
  • handful of chopped fresh chives

Instructions

  • Slice corn kernels off the cob and set aside.  Take each ear of corn and hold it over a bowl.  Use either the back of your knife or a spoon and scrape any remaining pulp and juice from the cobs.
  • Cook bacon pieces in large heavy bottomed pot (like a dutch oven) over MED heat.  Cook about 5-8 minutes, or until bacon is crisp.  Use a slotted spoon to remove to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
  • Use a clean paper towel to absorb some of the bacon grease, reserving about 1 Tbsp of grease in the pot.  Add butter and melt over MED heat.
  • Add diced onions and cook about 5 minutes, until soft and translucent.  Add garlic and flour and cook about 1 minute, stirring often.
  • While whisking, pour in water and increase heat to MED-HIGH.  Add in corn, potatoes, thyme, smoked paprika, and salt and pepper.  Stir and bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to MED-LOW and simmer.
  • Simmer, stirring every so often, for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are fork tender.
  • Use an immersion blender to blend about half the soup until smooth.  Alternatively, remove about 3 cups of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth.  Stir the blended soup back into the pot.
  • Add in half and half, reserved corn juice, and about half the chives.  Stir in and heat through.
  • Serve sprinkled with remaining chives and cooked bacon pieces, if desired.

Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!

Chef Tips

Recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated magazine (August 2011)

SLOW COOKER DIRECTIONS:

  • Cook bacon in skillet.  Set aside to drain on a paper towel-lined plate (this will be used as a garnish).
  • Add all ingredients (except half and half, chives, and cooked bacon) to a 6 qt or larger slow cooker.  Stir well, cover and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours.
  • Use immersion blender to blend about half the soup (or add 3 cups of soup to a blender and puree then add back to the slow cooker).
  • Stir in half and half and chives, cover and cook another 10 minutes or so to heat through.
If using frozen or canned corn, add a drizzle of honey to replace the corn "milk".
  • use approximately 4 cups of frozen or canned corn (32 oz)

Nutrition Disclaimer

The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

Did You Make This?Tag @the_chunky_chef on Instagram and hashtag it #thechunkychef so I can see what you made!
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Cozy corn chowder, made with tender potatoes, salty bacon and sweet corn!  Perfect as a weeknight meal!  Crockpot directions too! #soup #chowder #cornchowder #fall #souprecipe #weeknightmeal #crockpot #slowcooker

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Meet The Chunky Chef

Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!

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4.84 from 161 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




  1. Candace says

    Posted on 9/10 at 9:37 pm

    Needs more bacon, salt. I also added a jalapeno and celery and white wine and parsley. We loved this soup!

    Reply
  2. Anastasia says

    Posted on 9/4 at 11:09 pm

    Not as much flavor as I was hoping for

    Reply
  3. Melanie says

    Posted on 8/18 at 2:11 pm

    EZ PZ and super delish! Great way to use that leftover corn from the BBQ! Thanks so much!

    Reply
  4. Neil Pleskovitch says

    Posted on 8/14 at 4:53 pm

    My version following the recipe turned into cream corn

    Reply
  5. Connie says

    Posted on 7/26 at 11:43 am

    I just finished making this , I added chopped celery in to it also, cooked it with the onions, this recipe is quite simple, and very tasty,

    Reply
    • astamari says

      Posted on 8/22 at 5:57 pm

      Good, solid recipe. I followed it except subbing in some bulb fennel for its wonderful flavoring.

      Reply
  6. debbi says

    Posted on 7/22 at 1:50 pm

    If using canned or frozen corn, how many cups do I need?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 7/22 at 8:56 pm

      Approximately 32 oz (4 cups).

      Reply
  7. Jeff says

    Posted on 7/9 at 8:23 pm

    Our 13 year old daughter and I made this (our last endeavor was a lemon meringue pie for my wife’s birthday) and it came out great. Easy recipe, delicious results.

    Reply
  8. Paula says

    Posted on 6/15 at 9:35 pm

    Made this tonight, as we had some leftover sweet corn from yesterday evening which I had cut off the cob. It’s very easy to make–I didn’t add the thyme or garlic and didn’t use the immersion blender. I did use low-sodium chicken broth. It turned out great!!

    Reply
  9. Sharyl says

    Posted on 6/9 at 9:24 pm

    I added some celery, carrot, green pepper, jalapeno pepper and diced chicken thigh meat. It smells wonderful and I’m looking forward to a cozy comfy dinner.

    Reply
    • Sharyl says

      Posted on 6/9 at 9:27 pm

      Forgot to add the 5 stars!

      Reply
    • Linda R Hubbert says

      Posted on 7/26 at 2:23 pm

      Why would you change a recipe soooooooo drastically and say you made her recipe—–I do not get it!!!

      Reply
      • Mariah J says

        Posted on 8/21 at 2:48 pm

        Right lol thats not even potato corn chowder anymore, thats a completely different meal.

        Reply
  10. Jeremiah says

    Posted on 5/25 at 5:23 pm

    This was a simple and delicious chowder! My only change was to add a 1/4 tsp of nutmeg because we really enjoy that hint of spice. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  11. CoopK says

    Posted on 4/25 at 8:50 am

    I’ve made this soup many times, it is DELICIOUS! Tonight I’m going to add a ham hock. I can’t wait, it’s going to be so good. Thanks for all of your awesome recipes.

    Reply
  12. Cathy says

    Posted on 3/23 at 12:49 pm

    Any idea how much 8 ears of corn measures. I froze some corn this summer and it is in a bag.

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 3/23 at 1:45 pm

      The exact amount will vary quite a bit as every ear of corn varies in size and weight, but I would estimate around 4 cups.

      Reply
  13. Suzie says

    Posted on 3/14 at 6:18 pm

    Made this tonight made some changes I used salt pork instead of the bacon. I also cut the recipe in half there’s only two of us. My grandson hates all thing fish I had some leftover shrimp that I diced and added to the bottom of my bowl the soup gently reheated the shrimp. But this was delicious. Brought back so many great memories. Eating this with my family as a kid.

    Reply
  14. Lauren Richmond says

    Posted on 3/5 at 5:15 pm

    I make this all the time and it comes out great.

    Reply
  15. Kennedy says

    Posted on 2/18 at 1:12 pm

    Great recipe!

    Reply
  16. Kathy Frost says

    Posted on 2/6 at 11:33 am

    Loved it. Since I live in a small mother-in-law’s suite with limited cooking sources and no stove, I use a slow cooker and take advantage of frozen vs. fresh. I used frozen corn and frozen diced potatoes (sometimes called breakfast or hashbrown potatoes).

    My addition? Smoked sausage or Kielbasa, cut lengthwise in half, then quarters, then sliced.

    Reply
  17. Alyssa Moyer says

    Posted on 2/4 at 7:13 pm

    Super frickin good. Exactly what you would imagine when you think 5 star restaurant chowder.

    Reply
  18. Alyssa Moyer says

    Posted on 2/3 at 4:16 pm

    How big is a “serving size” of this? I am unsure how much to make.

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 2/3 at 8:39 pm

      I don’t measure my serving sizes exactly, since this website isn’t diet or healthy-eating focused.. but I would estimate between 1 – 1.5 cups.

      Reply
  19. Leslie says

    Posted on 2/1 at 11:21 pm

    Fantastic soup. Thank you Amanda!

    Reply
  20. anna says

    Posted on 1/30 at 10:23 pm

    I have always really wanted to like corn chowder; however, all I ever had to try was chain restaurant, bagged or canned, and it never tasted good. This is what I wanted every bowl I’ve tried to taste like. It was easy to make. I made two things a little different. First, I made the whole pack of bacon because, well, bacon. Second I omitted the milk because I am not a fan of it. Thank-you so much for sharing this!

    Reply
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